Wednesday, 31 December 2008

I wear glasses and living in Bulgaria it is difficult to get a decent pair of glasses, somehow the fashion here is not quite up to western standards just yet. I've considered laser treatment, but that's far too expensive and risky just now. I have also tried contact lenses and fond that I just don't get on with them, I wish I could. So I'm stuck with glasses, which is not all bad news as I quite like wearing them, it give my bland face some character and of course easy to manage giving me eye protection as well.

Buying glasses from an optician shop is always difficult for me, I just never feel quite aggrieved that I am paying high street prices, even with discount opticians stores (there aren't any in Bulgaria) they are still very expensive. So what other options are there?

Online business seems to cater for most things nowadays and buying glasses is now a business that is firmly established online. I have always bought new glasses online since being an expatriate in Bulgaria, not just from being the only option open to me but the best option. Even if I was still in the UK, I would still purchase my glasses online not just my presription glasses but holiday glasses, sunglasses and sportwear glasses, it is so much easier and cheaper this way.

Such a firm is Zeni Optical from your own optical prescription; you chose a frame from a massive selection, including the lens and materials used. There are firm guarantees with a efficient repair and return service included if needed. This company of course does not restrict glasses for customers with impaired vision, but specialise in Holiday frames as well as goggles and many other fashion frame sets.

My own choice was made only a few months ago I chose a metal alloy stainless steel half rim frame and it only cost me $8! And that was inclusive of the lenses. I could have got 80% polarised sunshade for a little extra, but that will wait until summer now with another pair that will be ordered. This is something like only 20% less that the cost of a frame and lens from a high street optician. I just couldn't live with myself paying that nowadays. The worry about the cost of a new pair of glasses now is the least of my worries, for the cost of a meal out in a restaurant will more than cover the cost of new eyewear right now.

So, the bottom line is, why pay lots of money for quality eye wear when there is a better option out there to buy online. You don't need your eyes tested to see it makes sense.

Sometimes there are things you can do that will gain you extra money that many people just don't know about. The new trend now is for companies to offer money back online in conjunction with their websites that is water of a duck's back for big companies with the profits they make, but can make a different to person who makes an effort to check it out.

These are called cashback websites, which give a great opportunity to many people to make or save money online. All this is free of course. It amazes me that there are many of these cashback websites around and people just aren't aware of them. When you buy off the Internet for example shop online for a product or a service, apply for a credit card or even make an online gamble, most people do this without even realising that they could be earning cashback. This is simply enabling you to save large amounts of cash on your purchases.

Cashback can be earned for performing various transactions, buying a holiday, purchasing a magazine subscription or even get paid cashback when you open an online bank account, in fact almost anything you buy may be subject to cashback with certain online websites.

Which would you rather do, buy online and get no cashback or buy online and get cashback? If the price of the goods is the same from two websites and one offers you cashback, you would be a fool not to take up the offer, but most buyers don't. These are big names that are giving money away, just a small glimpse today showed that two global based firms are giving 2% - 3% cashback with online sales and a international mobile phone company offering £60 cashback on certain products bought online. These examples are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of money waiting to come back to you on purchases. So why wait? Check the deals out and you'll be surprised you hadn't discovered this before.

I have listed just a few that give these benefits from shopping for everyday products. There are hundreds of others to choose from, I just don't know why more people don't consider this form of shopping. At the end of the day, you are saving therefore saving money that is so hard to earn nowadays.

Tuesday, 30 December 2008

Things look bleak right now and a very hard time to make money right now for everyone. The UK’s housing market is showing no improvement most Brits expect to see the average price of property in the UK decrease over the course of the next 12 months or even longer. How is this affecting you? It's not only the housing market that has seen a slump, but a general recession has kicked in, job losses with still a steady increase in electric gas and other utility bills. I won't mention car and transportation costs and millions of people are sitting right in the middle of it.

There are two answers to the problem, earn more money or reduce you outgoings. If you can manage both this will help you through the plight that so many are going through the moment.

But what if you are now in a position where you owe more than you can repay, loans, mortgage, HP, credit cards etc. There are thousands who are and many don't know where to turn next. Clear Debt can help lower your overall debts and aim to help you become debt free in less than five years or less. You could be repaying and reducing your debt every month with the peace of mind that your debt is reducing each month.

You really need some form of professional Debt Management to get you through this financial crisis. Clear Debt offers exactly this. To apply to reduce and clear debts with an IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement) with five simple sections to complete a full IVA application with no form filling by hand. A simple login at your convenience and at your own pace with everything completely personal, private, confidential and totally secure.

It makes complete business sense to have full control of you debt and take steps to reduce and eliminate it. If left unattended it is a bigger risk you face both for you, your family and you business. Clear Debt does exactly what is says, clear debt!

Your business is important, not just from the point of effective trading but from other area that all contribute to making profit. Bad credit is another area that can drain all the effort that is made into profits being made from you business.

With the credit crunch and financial meltdown upon up you need to review any bad credit that exists. The Internet's leading resource for bad credit can now offers a detailed comparison of more than a dozen credit cards on offer and is available to clients with bad credit.

BadCreditOffers.com was launched in 2005 and now features rankings, interest rates, and other key data that are associated with bad credit credit cards from major credit card issuers.

There is an online application for a smooth and easy way to apply for cards that may eliminate bad credit with rates from 7.9% - look what you are paying now you may be throwing money down the drain as each day goes by. It take less than a minute to apply online.

Business is all about economising overheads and maximising income; it makes sense not to ignore bad credit with that in mind.

Monday, 29 December 2008

Do you have a car? If you do you could be earning money from placing advertisements on the bodywork. There are literally millions of cars on our road with the potential to earn regular money each month for their owners.

Companies naturally are always looking for new and innovative ways to advertise. Advertising on private cars is an area now an established marketing area that many companies take this very seriously as part of their marketing campaign. You just have to think how many people get to see your car in a day then you will get some idea as to why this is becoming so popular with companies. Whether just driving to work and back, parked in a car park, parked outside you house or even on holiday, there will be thousands that get to see you car and even more that will look twice with advertisement and logos attached. You just use your car as normal and watch the pounds roll in each month.

This method of promotion offers tremendous benefits to the company advertiser and guaranteed profit for the car owner. Quite simply a company will agree to pay a sum of money to those who fix stickers advertising them on their car or van. Some companies even offer to give you a vehicle with advertising already set up, effectively free transport, all you have to do is agree to drive it.

There are already millions of people who benefit from this from of new advertising strategy taken up by hundreds of companies throughout the Americas, Europe and beyond. So, what's the catch?

There are conditions; you also must be at least 18 years of age and have good driving skills. You must be willing to have advertising on your car at all time and wherever you go so effectively you are tied to advertise until the contract ends the ends. There may also be written in the contract that you must agree to drive a certain number of miles per week or month. Not much of a problem if you already drive that agreed distance within your normal driving habits.

Also you may well be contracted to park your car near in urban areas or in a public place with lots of passers by. Advertisers will normally gather this information and other conditions before any contract is made up. What companies don't cover is the costs of insurance, servicing and petrol, you will be liable fore that. On top of this there is the cost of keeping the car clean, in fact spotless, probably on a daily basis so the ads are always clearly visible, this will certainly be a condition of the contract.

Looking at the amounts you can earn from this. You can be paid up to £2000 a month depending on the type of company, how far you drive, the locations driven, and the type of ad and vehicle used. This is obviously the top end of the pay scale, more often the fees for ads on your car will start from around £50 a month and move up from there.

There are several companies offering these services online, and most give lots of information without having to register. So if you fancy the idea, get online and check a few out. By the way, if you are asked for money up front, just don't go any further that that, it is likely it will be a scam.

Finally, if you have a bit of get up and go, it might be worth approaching companies in your area and ask whether they would like some advertising on you car. You may find that many companies have considered this but just haven't done anything about it - You could be in the right place at the right time if that is the case.

Saturday, 27 December 2008

If you happen to be in the Missouri area, I have found a great course where you can learn to make money on eBay. I'm sure the places will be filled quickly as eBay business has a big potential for making money. As with every business it still needs expert tips and advice to make better profits from this enterprise.

Tuesday, 23 December 2008

In any business presentation is an important part of success, after all, first impressions do count, in many cases customers will not give you a second chance in this day and ages of fierce competition for business. Whatever you business you should have an online presence giving another avenue for sales, marketing and promotion, this is becoming an increasing important part of many businesses nowadays with the growth of users online you cannot afford not to be part of it.

So whether you have online presence of not you should seriously consider starting are enhancing in this medium for maximum advantage. Build by Q-Industries is a web design company with a service that can help you with this. They have been around for nearly 10 years designing, developing Internet applications. Business after all is a professional game to make money, if you want the best out of your Internet drive then you really do have to consider support that can combine as purpose built strategy and sound technical including appropriate web design to support and drive your business forward, you can't afford not to.

Some of their clients include Microsoft, US Department of Energy and Volkswagen of America. They cover nearly every programming language and provide their customers with the best possible service to achieve Internet success. With web development services giving web-based solutions and are there for the taking with a team of professional experts at hand. You want business success online? Q-Industries are there to help in every way to achieve your goals.

Saturday, 20 December 2008

It's been around for a number of years now and still as popular as ever. It has even had extensive coverage as a popular programme on TV with millions of viewers glued watching this fascinating hobby and business - Yes, it's the Car Boot Sale.

These events where there is so much interest are organised as charity or commercial enterprise up and down the country throughout the year at all types of locations. There is always one near to where you live.

People make a living out of car boot sale by just working a couple of days a week. It is an activity that basically sells junk with enormous profits involved. You can sell almost anything at a car boot sale it is a bit like an al fresco eBay.

If you are new to all this a car boot sale is an excellent way to learn all about market trading and get paid for your education in the process. Many that start have actually gone onto bigger things such as a market trader; others just carry on quite happily earning more than enough to keep them content. An excellent way to start off in this business is to simple book your car in a few upcoming car boot sale events. these will be publicised in local newspapers, shop windows or online. The price of the entry fee is an absolute bargain in most cases rarely exceeding £10. With the profits you will get this is a drop in the ocean as far as overheads go.

You need stock for a car boot sale and if you have any business sense this should cost you nothing. Gather all your household junk and take it along with you to sell, these items will sell fast. Ask family, friends and neighbours for their junk. Most people you ask will have meat to get rid of their junk for ages, and the opportunity wold be more than welcome. They also usually won't ask any money to be paid for it either as you are the one doing them the favour.

Other sources of junk can be bought from 'job lots' in second hand shops. Local household auctions are also something to look out for.

Wholesalers who specialise in supplying market traders is another source where good stock can be bought really cheaply. the things that sell well are home made items, food, crafts, paintings and drawings, books, old records and toys always attracted plot of interest and good profits.

The selling price of your goods will be profit most of the time and most things will sell well at car boot sales. Try to avoid clothing, this is a poor trade off, many people just don't buy clothing so they will rarely sell well.

People like rummaging so put multiple items into boxes, this also help in your transportation. If you mark each box at a price then put all items at that price in the box, this will also save you having to mark the items individually.

All prices should be marked up little higher than you would expect, then if someone barters you can still accept the lower price and still make a good profit. most will accept the marked price anyway so this is not a worry. What ever you do don't give anything away, it will always sell eventually to another customer, No skills are involved or special selling techniques required for a car boot sale. The junk should sell itself.

Finally remember, your overheads this is an excellent income. A couple of car boot sales a week under your belt and you will be counting in up to £200 each week a little more and this will be a full time wage doing part time hours!

Friday, 19 December 2008

Photography is a pastime and hobby for many people. Since the popularity of the digital camera photography has become accessible to everyone, gone are the days of having to wait for the negatives to be developed and printing out. No longer do you have to think about every snap you take with the right aperture and shutter speed setting to get good photographs. And more importantly, the cost once you have purchased a digital camera is virtually nil.

Using our camera to make money is a much easier option nowadays. With immediate electronic download technology making a profit from your photographic work can be done with any decent digital camera and online PC.

Selling pictures to stock photography agencies is open for business right now. There are many agencies right across the web who can take your pictures on and generate an income online.

So, what kind of pictures can I make money from? The answer is quite simply anything, but bear in mind that some pictures give better rewards than others. iStockPhoto and Fotolia are two examples of stock photography agencies that offer photographers money for their pictures on a pay-per-download basis, this is in exchange for their other royalty payment rights. The most popular and almost certain guaranteed good returns on incomes income is from the predictable sexy women partly dressed photographs, but then it always had been with conventional photography.

If you travel a bit or go on holidays regularly, there are good opportunities to build up your travel photographs and use these from potential income, try and get a slightly different view from most tourists that visit and photograph, the slightly different but not too far removed will be more in demand than your straight on holiday snap.

Another big area of popularity is pictures of pets and animals, this is always going to be a big genre with so may pet lovers in this world. There are hundreds of website solely dedicated to pet pictures and these are sub-divided into the type of pets, i.e. dogs, cats, fish, horses etc. even rats.

The bottom line is that money can be made out of most types of pictures, even one of your grandma. It is just a case of getting out there and snapping, downloading to one or a variety of stock photography agencies and wait for your first payment.

Wednesday, 17 December 2008

There is always a demand for hiring cars and there are many reason behind it. From someone who want a car to drive whilst their own car in being serviced or repaired to someone who is over on holiday and wants transport for a week or so. The beauty is many customers who want to hire a car, don't always want the elite global companies that charge the earth, they just want a vehicle that gets them from A to B on a budget. This is where you can come in.

Nowadays you can pick up absolute bargains in car deals, especially with the credit crunch upon us, a car that is say 10 years old and still in fairly good condition is commonplace. If you hunt around a bit on the Internet, car ad magazines such as the Exchange and Mart and other advertising mediums a couple of hundred quid would see you through to owning a car that can earn money for you. With this it could just one week of hiring out that car and would pay back that initial investment, beyond this, the rest is profit bar regular servicing and maintenance road tax and insurance.

You will have to make sure that insurance you get covers any other driver and under a hire term, but again, the value of the car will bring your insurance rate down to the minimum. If the car is serviced regularly getting through an MOT is not a problem and will of course be funded from the money you get hiring the car out.

It is good advice to go for a Japanese make of car, these last the test of time and the parts are easy and cheap to get. Makes such as a Nissan or Datsun are well known for being a good runner for year upon years.

If you single car hire business is running well, why restrict yourself to one car, for a thousand pounds you could have three or four cars that you can hire out. The only addition would be a parking area for them.

The main area of making this a successful business is getting customers; this should be your main focus in the first instance. Word of mouth, dropping business cards everywhere, Internet advertising as well as all the usual places such as shop windows and local press. In fact the local press should be you first port of call as this gets immediate business from relatively little cost.

When you do get customers, load them up with business cards to give out, referrals is another way of getting customer traffic to call you as well as repeat business with the cards on that person.

The best part of this type of business is that if the car does eventually 'run out of steam' it wasn't a big investment in the first place. In addition to this there is a surprise bonus, as you can probably get your investment back from selling it for scrap! All in all, you can't really go wrong.

Monday, 15 December 2008

When starting an online business it is always a good idea to look after your health. You can make as much money as you like but if your health suffers how can you enjoy all the time and effort put into achieving that.

Lets start with general fitness:You will no doubt be spending most of your time on front of your PC sitting with no exercise or aerobic activity; this is certainly not good for your body or mind. In order to work most efficiently, regular exercise is vital to achieving that, even if it is a 20 minutes brisk walk twice a day. Jogging, cycling or swimming are excellent activities to keep you body and mind health and efficient, which can only be good to results in your business.Let’s move on the diet:Eating sensibly will help you fell good about yourself, stimulate your health with vital protein and vitamin intake for you to perform to the best of your ability. Avoid over eating and drink lots of water. Always have some water at hand and then you will get into the habit of sipping it regularly. This will hydrate you and make you become more mentally aware, good for online business for sure.Your eyes:This is probably the most worked part of your body when working an online business, glasses are essential is you don’t’ have perfect vision. It is essential that you look after your eyes; it is after all a business asset that is very valuable. You can buy quality prescription eyeglasses online. The best advice is not to buy from a high street store; they are far too expensive with shop overheads etc. Optical4less is such a company that can give you a good online deal. Prescription eyeglasses are one of theri speciality areas, so don’t throw away your hard earned profits and ensure you have the best for you investment, namely your eyes.

Finally:If you look after yourself everything else looks after itself, you can then get on with your online business in the knowledge that your potential earnings are now going to be enhanced with your razor sharp thinking due to a healthy diet, body and eyesight.

Before you make the decision to go self-employment you need to be absolutely sure the 'red tape' hits you and just as important lose out on grants and loans that may be available for you. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) play an important role in giving information and currently have a checklist for those starting out on the self-employed road.

Buying equipment for your business is a normal practice, you should be aware that tax relief is available in the form of capital allowances for this. If you buy to keep and use equipment in your business, such as vehicles, tools, computers and business furniture. This however does not include things you buy and sell for profit.

You need to register you current status with H. M. Revenue and Customs, this can be done online and the website will take you through the process. Be aware that if you don’t register you will face a fine.

The smooth running of any new business is about having the correct credit management systems and payment procedures in place, it is essential. A cash flow that is efficient is vital ad in the first year of any business expenditure is high and provisions need to be in place to ensure that money can flow into the business as well as flow out.

From the very start of your business make full and accurate records and accounts, this will make it easier to work out what your liabilities are in terms of the various taxes and National Insurance you are subject too pay. All records must be kept for six years for both business and private. A fine of up to £3,000 can be made if you fail to keep records. You may also be paying too much tax without full record to check.

Being Self-Employed, you have to pay your own National Insurance contributions by submitting your contributions on a quarterly basis. It is important to take care of your National Insurance, as you will lose out on state benefits that are related to the amount of National Insurance contributions you have made.

Completed and submitted tax returns on a yearly basis are required. A full tax return can be made online; this will save time and automatically calculates your tax when you file your return online. Make sure you check your tax calculation once you have received it, as this will form the basis of your payment.

Once all this is taken care of, you can get on with the business of making money with your business, the secret is to keep on top of things all the time, even if you have to pay an accountant to do so.

Organising and streamlining finance for business is an essential part of being successful. Getting on top of you and understanding where your financial standing is along with having full control on credit and loans is all part of the business, just as important as the front end of selling services or products.

You should consider that if you hold and unsecured debt, you should try to eliminate it. Why? It makes sense to do so as a consolidated debt is usually cheaper. You can reduce your balances up to 50% reducing the interest you pay. It is far easier to account with one low monthly payment and of course the risk of bankruptcy is eliminated.

It make financial prudence sense for any business to strive to reduce outgoings and that includes interest from loans and credit by debt consolidation payment, Contrary to belief, you don't even need to own a home to do so, you don't need a Credit Check and Bad Credit is not a problem.

So look at your loans and credit you have currently, especially single out unsecured credit such as credit cards, then look at the interest rate you are paying. Finally, do something about it; money from high interest rates is just creaming off your business profits! Stop the rot now and consider a Personal Loan for you and your business.

Friday, 12 December 2008

A couple of posts ago gave you the the bad news on the UK tax guide advising you what you may be liable for whatever your vocation. The good news is that you may be able to claim tax allowances. This means that there may be certain costs you can deduct from your taxable profits and reduce your tax bill.

It is a condition that the expenses claimed back against income tax in your tax return must be solely for the purposes of the trade or business.

If your business is being run from home, part of the expenses of the home used for business, such as an office or even a workshop can be deducted from your taxable profits. This should be declared on your self-assessment tax return each year.

If a room or space is for the business in your home, it is normal practice to work out the proportion of the house used for business and charge the appropriate percentage of council tax, heating and lighting and other utility bills, to the business. If you share a telephone, a percentage of that bill can also be charged to the business.

You should however be wary of the mandatory Capital Gains Tax system is always in place place. If you happen to sell the property at some point, Her Majesty's Customs and Revenue might judge that the space used as an office should be disallowed from the exemption for capital gains tax. The consequence of that is part of any profit on the sale of the house would be subject to the dreaded Capital Gains Tax.

If you have purchased equipment for your business, i.e. photocopying machine, computer, desk, filing cabinet, etc. it will be deemed as ‘capital expenditure’ and therefore qualify for an Annual Investment Allowance. It is law as from April 2008 you have now become entitled to claim tax relief on the initial £50,000 you spend on the business assets.

In turn this actually means that if you buy equipment or spend money within your office area, you can deduct the full amount invested of the cost of the assets from your taxable profits Again this is now up to a value of £50,000. This should substantially reduce your tax bill. Some items are eligible, like computers, others are not. You can find more information on capital allowances from your local HM Customs and Revenue office.

If you use a car for your business part of the cost of running that car, for example fuel, servicing, insurance etc. may be also an allowable as a business expense. This allowance can may also be subject to an addition 25% 'writing allowance.'

There is an alternative you can put on account 40p per mile (up to 10,000 miles) for business mileage. You need to keep a record of mileage to claim car expenses against for you claim. There are other implications that can also be used as long as they account for being “wholly and exclusively used in for business.”

For a finer details of what has been covered here there are HM Customs and Revenue all around the country who are there to provide you with specific information as well as giving a guide on tax generally for the self-employed. After all, the tax you pay is actually paying their wages!

Tax is an expensive liability for everyone, not least businesses. You would be well advised to make the most of provisions made for reducing that bill. After all, every business is made to make profits for you not throw at the taxman.

I write blogs, I love writing blogs, it is a pastime that takes up much of my time in the evenings and weekend, but I don't mind. It costs nothing and I do it in the comfort of my own home.

There are people out there who do this for a living, something that I would certain aspire to if given the opportunity, and if you read on you will find that this opportunity is now a reality. Giving up the day job for blogging was something that I could only dream of. So how do you actually make a living out of blogging? It's do easy, it is simple getting paid to write about products and services by advertisers.

There are many schemes online around that can provide you with advertisers that want bloggers services, some are rather confusing, some require major amounts of traffic on your blog before they even consider you and there others which just don't deliver the business as the numbers of advertisers they recruit are not enough.

Advertising and blogs were made for each other as people read them, it there is a public taking things in there is always going to be a market for companies interested in selling, this will be here for a very long time.

I have been blogging for money for a while now, I’ve done the rounds on what is good and bad and there is one that stands out from many, payingpost.com, I will continue to use them as the layout of the site is user-friendly, support is second to none and they have a great page giving advice to beginners who want to how to move from blogging for leisure to blogging for profit.

My own transition from blogging for pleasure to blogging for profit has taken off, my ambition to make this a living is now feasible. by the way things are going right now this is certainly possible in the not too distant future. Even if I and others don't make it full time, it is a nice way to earn a bit extra to get through this time of financial crisis in a blogging world that seems to be thriving.

Thursday, 11 December 2008

The word tax to anyone where they have their own business, are employed, or even on a pension is a concern. I have given you a simple guide to the different types of tax in the UK. It is essential for any man or woman to understand what each tax liability is, who has to pay them and how they work.

Tax is pay for the funding of public services. The government are accountable to the tax payers and have been democratically elected to take charge of the tax funds we pay.

Types of taxes that you may have to pay are under five categories. I have taken each one and explained exactly what they are founded on.

Income tax

This is main tax people pay and is dependent on your salary or earned income. The more you earn the more tax you pay.

You pay this from your wages, or business profits for the self employed, and some benefits also have income tax taken off (also state pensions and private pensions.)

Added to this are national insurance payments, it is meant to fund sickness benefits and pension funds.

Incidentally, income tax also comes off your savings, so any money put away after paying tax in the first instance, the government 'steal' a slice of that income too.

This is used to be a luxury goods tax but now it has spread to many basic items, it it another income tax basically on spending money that has already been taxed or has been taxed twice if your spending money had been saved in a bank or building society - In essence you have been taxed three times!Current Rates are:Standard Rate 17.5%Reduced Rate 5%

Each year, no matter what government blind you with on statistics, the amount of tax you pay goes up, unless you earn less of course. Each year the cost of public services goes up so it is a natural course. So be very aware that when conducting any form of financial forecast you need to take into account the tax inflation that will be rise each year.

Wednesday, 10 December 2008

When I started using computers I was doing teacher training through the Open University. Prior to the starting course all students were issued with free Mac Computers use for the duration of the course, the course lasted two years. We had Internet connection and were allowed to use the system for private use. This was the first time I had had a computer to myself and learnt quite quickly how to use it and get the most out of the programs that were resident on the machine.

Already lots of money making ideas were about on the computers many based around the games genre as this was the in things for kids right now. Computer games were now the most popular pastime at home for children.

Many essays, dissertations, assessments and planning was done on this computer that I felt now quite at home with. It wasn’t all work though; I used to download mac games for my kids to play. Nowdays you can dowload iphone games andmore up-to-date mac games. Many an evening they would beg me to let them on the computer and play. How could I refuse especially as they taught me more about using the mac than I could learn myself? Why are your kids always better than you at computer games?

To cut a long story short I was lost without that mac computer when my course ended and it had to be returned to the Open University. Nowadays I use a Windows based PC but my kids who are adults now use mac computers and still download and play games. One actually makes a living running an Internet business, but play games in between his working schedule.

If you want to run a computer Internet business, listen to the kids, they don’t just play games but know far more that you think about the technical side of computers. If you are an old hat like me you need all the help you can get, even tips on playing the games.

Tuesday, 9 December 2008

Starting any form of business from scratch is an exciting time. most people have an idea and can't wait to get started, most people have and idea and do start straight away - and fail! Why?

Simple, the urgency to start earning and getting you business up and running has to have a little pause and thought behind and be done properly. It has to be planned and measured for success. Anyone who misses this vital link in planning a business process is doomed to fail. No matter how big or small you business idea is, it needs to looked at in detail before you can start. It is a simple process of making up a business plan, if you don't it's a bit like diving into the shallow end of the swimming pool - we all know what happens once you dive without checking the depth beforehand.

A simple business plan should give you answers you need to know in order for you to be sure that you business has a chance of success.

I have drawn up a list of questions you should be able to answer. I would suggest you seriously s the following questions:

Why are you starting the business? - This should be answered honestly, if it is just to make money then say so.

What are you selling? - It could be a service, goods or product

Who you will be selling it to? - Important question as this will be your market

How will you reach them? - A question of not only logistics but advertising and marketing

Why will they buy from you? - Another very important question, why buy off you and not your competitors

What price will you charge? - Enough to make a profit; enough to compete with any competition about

How much business do you need to break even? - Is it realistically achievable?The ultimate question on whether you business is viable

What are the risks? - Try to paint a worse case scenario

What can you do to minimise the risks? - In the previous answer (worse case scenario) how can this be avoided

The best advice is to take time to answer these questions in as much detail as possible. Either copy and paste the questions onto a text document and complete or even grab a pen and paper and write it out.

Another piece of advice is to get someone to give a second option on you answers, two heads are better than one and you will get another angle or perhaps a more truthful view of some answers. This will help enormously.

Once done then you can go forward or take a step backwards, a backwards step is a positive move if the business isn't workable.

Friday, 5 December 2008

Every City, Town and Village has a manicure or pedicure specialist, but the demand goes on for more in this ever-busy world. People just need their hand and feet to be pampered just as they need to go to the hairdresser regularly. Ever thought about doing this yourself?

It is a safe and sociable business, there always work around and you don't need much to set it yourself up. The qualifications needed can be completed within a week to a few months depending on the type of course you take. It can be done on a full time or part-time basis if you already work. Other than that just a small table and two chairs and your manicure/pedicure tools and you have a business.

I know many women who work door-to-door giving manicure or pedicure services. It pays well they have a regular customers and they love the work. For some it has taken a few years to establish their business, that in the main was because they just knew how to manicure and not market their services. With the marketing in place they would have had secure regular profits within six weeks of qualifying. Most just use word of mouth and don't really push themselves outside their circle of friends and family.

Whether you want to work from home, being mobile or in a salon you will need a validated certificate to practice your work. This will also be necessary to get you insurance, essential for any work done by a Nail Technician on human hands. There are many different certificates and qualification you can work towards, it really depends on which area you wish to focus on. The best advice is to see what course are around, what they have to offer and whether you feel that it is for you.

Some Manicure and Pedicure course give training for acrylic and sculptured nails, maintenance and removal. Theoretical content will be included covering, Health and Safety, Nail Structure and Growth Prevention and Repair of damage.

Course fees are on average around £500- £600, you need no formal entry qualifications needed to join most courses. If you see cheaper fees it is mainly because they either don't offer a validated course or it is not a full manicure of pedicure course. So watch out that you are not being hoodwinked onto an inferior course. If in doubt look for another source of training.

Some further education establishments also provide the following:

Childcare provision

Support for physical disabilities

Support for hearing impairment

Support for visual impairment

Support for learning difficulties

Support for people whose main language is not English

Free Guidance and advice service

Whatever your circumstance there is room for you. There are hundreds of courses you can take up not only in the UK but also in other countries. With these courses you normally get a qualification at the end of it. Here is a list of a few I have just pulled out of the bag:

Don't ever think that this is just women's work, there is a demand for men to practice this and there should be no discrimination if a man wants to take up this work.

Once you have qualified the work really begins with the marketing that was touched on before. The time and effort you put in marketing yourself will be rewarded. Business cards, networking, an Internet site, advertising in shop windows and supermarket ads, local newspaper all need to be worked on. Get to know every single hairdressing shop in the area. If you play your cards right, they may offer you a corner of their shop to work in! Push yourself and don’t forget the word of mouth to friends and family, this is also part of the networking system.

Tuesday, 2 December 2008

Looking around at businesses it is quite apparent that there are countless number making good profits out of diet plans and schemes. I don't believe 90% of them purely from the claims they make - We'd all be fit and slim if it was that simple.

Buy the book and you'll loose 10 kilograms in a month

Take these pills and you will be slimmer after a week

Follow this diet and you will be the babe on the beach within three months

Buy this Training schedule download and you'll be fitter and slimmer in a week

These are some of the types of claims that make their creators lots of money and the customers not always ended up with a healthy weigh loss at the end of the day.

I have said before that many you don't need any fancy diet, training or pills to help lose weight. These 'gimmicks' are bought by millions of people and will continue to make a good business for anyone who decides to try and fool the public. There is a weakness in countless people who want to believe there is a magic cure for slimming that can simply be bought for money.

This leads on the the point how this can make you a little income. There are two ways to do this, the honest and truthful way where you might make a little pocket money or the big deceitful way with claims that can never be achieved and make thousands.

Let's take the first option:

From your own experience you can give an account of how you think a good way of losing weight can be achieved. You can draw upon information that is freely available in books and on the web and draw up your own hybrid version of a weight losing idea or ideal. Spread the word through a self-published book and sell it, contribute to magazine articles (for a fee) go go online with a weight-losing topic blog or website which will become popular and you can place other wieghlosing sites' ads there.

The other way is to think of something really different, ridiculous and far fetched and claim it is the new slimming miracle that can't fail. For example - The Desert Island Diet - just eat coconuts and bananas or The Watching TV Training Programme - exercise during adverts. Get a Professor to swear blind these work along with Laurel and Hardy look-a-likes for the before and after and you have a complete portfolio to make a fortune.

Whether you can live with yourself taking the second option is another matter, thousands do of course. There is a third option and most people take this one. Don't do anything. The advice here is, if you want to make money out of conning people out of money for a diet plan that doesn't work go ahead, but remember, you won't go to heaven.

Friday, 28 November 2008

The Internet has a wealth of information for all to use and many companies want certain that information and are willing to pay people to find it. There is work out the for Internet researchers who will be assigned jobs of researching via the Internet on a wide range of genres, topics or questions.

The Internet is taken for granted by many nowadays, but there are still many people who aren't familiar with it or are too busy to spend time on it. There’s a gap in the market for those who have a facility to extract information from a web search. You simple put yourself out to hire as in Internet researcher for people like solicitors or authors and you get paid for it.

An example of a company that does this is AQA 63336 they answer thousands of questions for clients every day by using Internet researchers and pay for every question researchers find. I actually worked for them in the UK a few years ago and found they are an up front and honest set up. Their services however they don't cater for Bulgaria where I live now so I had to drop them. You need to be fluent in English and have good writing skills and they will give you a short test before considering you.

Most research work is on a self-employed basis and like ASA may involve some form or trial or test for you to secure a contract. It does take a little knowledge тo become a good researcher, а little knowledge on how to get into archives that aren't accessible through normal search engines is something you have to learn. Most decent companies contracting you will give an in house guide or a little training on strategies that can be used. Or you can take up an online training course yourself before you apply for work, this will give you a head start and enhance any testing you will have to go through.

The field of Internet research is very diverse but there will always work out there as it involves time, which is what you are getting be paid for. The average pay is around 10 pounds an hour

Make note and be warned though, there are some companies or individuals masquerading as legitimate companies that are recruiting that ask for money up front for training or setting you up. Just don't entertain these companies. There is no reason at all for you having to pay to get work, it should be the other way round, so don't drawn in by the hype and subsequently get conned.

Thursday, 27 November 2008

Blogging is a passion of mine, I really couldn't live without it. Many a day I sit here typing away thinking, God I wish I could afford to do this all the time. A pipe dream, maybe so, but there are many ways in which a little income can be made from blogging, it is just a case of choosing which is right for you.

The thought of getting paid to blog sometimes fills my head with lingering doubts about whether it would be enjoyed as much as writing blogs without being directed. I suppose it is a case of choosing whom you and what want to write about when doing it under contract. There are hundred of advertisers out there and many have products or services you approve of. With the aid of Internet sites for resources to draw upon, you will never be short of information to write about. Many of my resourced information covering most areas is extracted from Wikipedia.com, I feel that many facts I write about would not be there without this free aid.

In my case some of my blogs actually promote goods and services without being paid or commissioned to do so. I am actually advertising for these companies for nothing other than on the basis that it is my humble valued opinion that I want to express to a public that wants to know. It may be a positive of a negative aspect but I want to write about it anyway.

So what the difference in writing blogs just for pleasure and getting paid to blog? At the end of the day I will still be the boss and choose to write or not to write about goods and services that I see fit to report on. On that principle and as long it stays that way I think I will take it up.

There are many sites that offer payment for a blog to be written from advertisers. One in particular that I had just heard about. It was actually from a blogging friend who had been using them for a while and she was more than happy with the service. If you would care to check out our blog located at: http://www.payingpost.com/blog/ please do.In addition, their creation fee is 50% less than their competitors, which is another good reason to join up.

Monday, 24 November 2008

There are millions of dogs and all of them need to be walked two or three times each day. There are also millions of dog owners who cannot manage to do this; therefore there is a gap in the market for dog walkers.

А Dog Walker will go to pet owners' homes and take the dog or dogs for a walk for payment, it is as simple as that. If you like walking, like dogs and don't mind a daily routine this is an ideal way of making an extra bit of money for something you enjoy. Not too many of these scenarios about.

Dog walkers’ hours of work are usually from around midday to earlier evening since most dogs will need a lunchtime and evening walk. If you are available during the day, this will be just up your street so to speak.

There is no special training needed to be a dog walker although you should have a basic understanding of dog behaviour and be aware of the warning signs of dogs alongside proper lead handling techniques. You must also be sure that you can handle the strength and size of some larger dogs before you agree to walk the dog.

Dog walking requires hardly any money to start up. The most expensive cost is insurance, a must with this kind of work. Then there a the little overheads such as business forms so that you have permission to enter a client's home and have it in writing how much they owe you so you get paid. Advertising cost as you may want to advertise on the web or in the paper. This is obviously an open-end budget and it is up to you as to how much you want to spend.

Rates of pay from customers will vary greatly from one end of the country to the other. The best way to find your rates pitch is to check out your competition, they should also be advertising. You want to place your rates in line with your competitors don’t try and undercut, you will be undervaluing your service and this will be seen as such. Most people who want dog walkers are looking for a profession service and are willing to pay for that.

Dog walking is generally done by the amount of time the owner wants the dog to be walked. So, it is best to have a time-based pay scale in which they can choose from. You may wish to include a monthly discount plan to encourage long-term contracts and pay in advance.

Sending an article about your business to the local paper is a very good idea for free advertisements. It will give you the best exposure possible. You can get listed in the local papers and the phone book. Some are paid for some are free it depends where you are living but worth checking out. Don't forget you will be advertised continuously in these publications. Get flyers everywhere, they can be hand delivered while you are out walking the dogs! Local vets are a good place to display your ad or business card or give referrals. Get to know your vet and they will refer you to their customers.

You will need to draw up the details of the services you are offering to customers. A contract is quite difficult to write up so it may be worth getting it done professionally keeping in mind this is a form most of your clients will be signing. If it is not done properly or professionally, you may well lose business. Another angle to save money is to get an agreement from another dog walker and use that as you template with a few adjustments in text.

One of the best pieces of advice is to get a website. These are known to generate a lot of 'leads' (excuse the pun) in this type of business. Many find their needs nowadays looking on the Internet. Most sites can be set up for free.

Finally, the best advertising of all is word of mouth. Tell everyone about your service that you are offering, everyone knows someone who owns a dog, they will go to you first is they know about you. Such an obvious way to attract business, but so many people overlook this.

Wednesday, 19 November 2008

My next-door neighbour in England does this bird box making business, he could have given up his full time job as warehouseman, but he chose to keep it as his hobby as he said he'd lose the enjoyment factor. He made around five or six a week but could have quite easily knocked up 100 a week if he wanted.

Where did he sell them? Many garden centres in the area wanted them, he didn't advertise it was just word of mouth. Many friends of friend know of him and he would often get visitors turning up at his house to buy on just from recommendation.

So if you are a little useful with your hands and a little knowledge on how to use a saw, a hammer and nails you are half way there.

Most bird boxes are made from wood, this give good insulation, quite adaptable and attractive. There are other made from plastic, cement, sawdust and wood shaving compounds but these really aren't suitable for homemade versions. Stick to wood and you won't go wrong, they sell much better as well.

All you need is a garage or workspace and wood collected from woods or bought is you haven't access to wooded areas. You can legally pick up dead wood that is the best to use as it is already dried out. But fro this you will have to design your own boxes as the wood will not be uniform, each unit will be different.

I have found various sites that give good instructions on how to put together designer bird boxes. These can be made quite easily and presented to your market a few days later.

A little guide on bird and their requirements is needed so I given you a layman's guide to certain species.

Most bird nests are simply a box with a hole in the front. This should be a different size depending on the type of bird you're trying to attract.

The smaller species of the Tit family, which include Blue tits, coal tits and marsh tits, you can make a box with a small hole, approximately 25mm across.

Bigger birds such as the Great tit, nuthatches, house sparrows and tree sparrows: put up a box with a slightly bigger hole, approximately 32mm across.

Robins, wrens and pied wagtails prefer open-fronted boxes but these can be vulnerable to attack by cats so make sure you advise your customers to put install them somewhere safe.

Tree creepers need specially designed boxes to copy their natural nesting sites behind loose bark. The boxes need to be a narrow, tapered shape with a small hole at the top of one side.

Starlings’ nest boxes need to be long with a hole near the roof. Again advise customers to place them high on walls, as starlings will have a tendency nest in roofs or in the walls of old buildings.

Sparrows nest close to each other in communal boxes, sometimes called terraces. These boxes need to have three compartments with a hole just under the lid at each side and in the centre. They may also like the starlings will nest naturally in the roofs of your house.

A magazine called 'Gardening Which?' can be bought. It give instructions for making boxes suitable for the following birds: blue tit, coal tit, great tit, house sparrow, nuthatch, pied flycatcher, robin, spotted flycatcher and wrens. Well worth a couple of quid if you want a good guide and implicit instructions.

The marketing is again always the secret in any business like this. Make yourself known in shop window adverts, local papers and of course on the internet, perhaps offering mail order sales if you present pictures of your products. There are many doing this online right now. Car boot sales are a great place to display your goods along and don't forget eBay!

By far the best place to market are your local garden centres and pet shops, they can't get enough of them in the summer. Winter is the best time to approach them with your products but make sure you can honour any orders that come your way.

My former neighbour in England is still making them, he only used to charge a ‘tenner’ (£10) for a standard box on a pole with the cost of materials around £3. Not bad in terms of profit made, it actually paid half of his mortgage each month!

The whole beauty is it is a green activity, it helps the environment with more birds nesting and even more green if you collect your own dead wood for the products.

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This policy is valid from 1 January 2009 This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content. This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.